SMEs in 'wait & see' mode - EUbusiness Week newsletter 564 - EUbusiness.com

EUbusiness Week 564 top stories: EU bids to close book on Greece, re-boot economy; WTO gives ruling on Airbus-Boeing state-aid dispute; France raps Google’s new privacy policy; Germany top indirect beneficiary of EU cohesion funds; EU breast cancer deaths ‘to drop 9%’ in 2012: study; France suffers major egg shortage

This Week’s Top Stories

1. EU bids to close book on Greece, re-boot economy
2. WTO gives ruling on Airbus-Boeing state aid dispute
3. Fraud costs EU EUR 600m annually
4. Germany top indirect beneficiary of EU cohesion funds
5. EU breast cancer deaths ‘to drop 9%’ in 2012
6. France suffers major egg shortage

Publisher’s Note

EC figures show that consumer and business confidence in the eurozone rose in February. However, the key services sector suffered a drop, and, according to a survey by the SME organisation UEAPME, uncertainty prevails over confidence.

In fact it believes a mild recession is now under way, with Europe’s businesses in ‘wait and see’ mode, while the confidence gap between Portugal, Ireland, Italy, Greece and Spain combined and the rest of the EU keeps widening.

UEAPME warns that structural reforms are needed to balance the reduction of public demand which is a consequence of fiscal consolidation. Only these, it says, can mobilise private spending, foster SME growth and restore business confidence to pull Europe out of the slump.
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Regards,

Nick Prag
Publisher, EUbusiness

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1. EU bids to close book on Greece, re-boot economy

EU leaders cleared all but the final hurdles to an unprecedented new Greek bailout Thursday as they began debating ways to turn the page on the debt crisis and inject fresh life into strained economies.
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Serbia set for ‘historic’ leap into EU

2. WTO gives ruling on Airbus-Boeing state aid dispute

Top level talks might be the only way to end a seven year state aid dispute between aerospace groups Boeing and Airbus, an EU diplomat said on Wednesday after the WTO sent both sides its ruling on the issue.
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3. Fraud costs EU EUR 600m annually

The European Union loses some 600 million euros to suspected fraud every year and it will consider setting up an office to combat it, a senior official said on Tuesday.
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4. Germany top indirect beneficiary of EU cohesion funds

Germany, one of the Union’s largest fund contributors, is also the top indirect beneficiary of cohesion payments to four Central European Member States, a study has found.
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5. EU breast cancer deaths ‘to drop 9%’ in 2012: study

The number of women dying from breast cancer in the European Union is expected to drop by nine per cent this year thanks to advances in treatments, researchers said on Wednesday.
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6. France suffers major egg shortage

French cake manufacturers have called for urgent help after several farms halted egg production for failing to implement EU poultry happiness rules, sending the price of eggs sky-rocketing.
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EUROPEAN LAW

Euro fast-track: Germany’s top court ruled that a small fast-track parliamentary committee set up to approve emergency steps for fighting the eurozone crisis is illegal.
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EU takes France to court over nitrates water pollution
Latest Court of Justice judgements
EU Law Firms
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Inside the EU Institutions

Council Watch

Mr Fixit: EU leaders have reappointed Belgian politician Herman Van Rompuy as EU president for a second 30-month term, while also naming him chairman of the eurozone.
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EU delays Schengen decision for Bulgaria, Romania
Leaders call for further Syria sanctions
Belarus blasts EU after envoys recalled
Council …

Commission Watch

Firewall: Commissioner Olli Rehn has expressed confidence that the eurozone will bolster its financial firewalls — a key condition for others to loan more money to the IMF.
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EU ready to take ‘appropriate’ steps in Falklands row
Commission …

Euro-Parliament Watch

Energy efficiency: MEPs sitting on the Industry, Research and Energy Committee have given the thumbs-up to stronger binding targets for 2020 on energy efficiency.
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Parliament dubs Belarus envoy expulsions ‘hostile act’
This week the International Trade Committee wanted to know more about how the Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement (ACTA) would be enforced before advising Parliament as a whole on whether or not to approve it; and the Legal Affairs Committee voted for copyright legislation which would allow everyone to access so-called ‘orphan works’ online.
Parliament …

EU diary

1-2 Mar, European Council
8-9 Mar, Justice and Home Affairs Council
9 Mar, Environment Council
12 Mar, Eurogroup
12-15 Mar, European Parliament plenary session
13 Mar, Economic & Financial Affairs Council
The Week Ahead
Long-term diary